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Category Archives: Car Accident

An awful crash yesterday on Nevada’s Kingsbury Grade caused the death of at least one person. Many other people were injured in this terrible wreck. The person killed was a woman. Her name is not being released, per usual protocol, until her family is notified. She did not die on scene of the accident, but rather succumbed to her injuries after being flown via helicopter to a hospital in Reno. One of the other people injured in the accident was also in bad enough condition to be taken to the hospital on that same Care Flight to Reno. There is some confusion from this news report on the Nevada vehicle fatality on Kingsbury Grade as to how many persons were transported on the air ambulance, whether it was one or two additional persons from the vehicles involved in the collision. There were at least two more injured persons taken to the hospital in regular ambulance transport. If you’re injured or a loved one is killed in a Nevada vehicle accident, Benson & Bingham can help. We know how to take a terrible situation for you and your family and make it just a little more manageable. We take away the financial and legal pressure to give you space to mourn and heal. Benson & Bingham offer free consultations to take the stress out of talking to a lawyer, too. Contact us today to see if we can help.

This Nevada vehicle death appears to have been caused by a head on collision. The two vehicles in the collision are reported to be a Nissan Pathfinder and motorhome. The driver of the Pathfinder is said to be the young woman who died from her injuries. It was said to have happened a little before 1:30 in the afternoon yesterday. The location is reported to have been just a little ways down the hill toward the valley from Tramway. People had to be extricated from both vehicles. The Nissan was also reported to have caught fire. The road was completely closed for what appears to have been a few hours while police worked to investigate and clear the scene. Nevada Highway Patrol reportedly indicated that the motorhome was a rented vehicle. Many questions have yet to be answered, such as which side of the road the accident occurred on and therefore which driver is likely to have been at fault in the accident.

When you see the pictures and video from a news report on this Reno car crash, it’s hard to believe that, as the news story mentions, no injuries were sustained. One car is fully on its side and looking quite crushed in the middle of the freeway. The accident was reportedly on Interstate 395 in the area of the Oddie Boulevard exit. The accident occurred this evening just a little while before 7:30 in the evening. Multiple lanes were closed due to the accident and the emergency response. The Nevada Highway Patrol is the law enforcement agency reporting that no injuries were sustained in the accident. The freeway has since reopened. The closure of lanes and diversion of vehicles onto the shoulder made the commute very difficult this evening, as any accident usually does especially on that stretch of road.

What happens if you’re in an accident and the police determine that there were “no injuries,” but a few days later or a day later or a week later you start to feel pain? The most common locations for that pain to occur are the head, neck and back areas. This is common of a whiplash injury in Nevada. These often devastating injuries can take time to manifest, after the shock and adrenaline and all that wears off following an accident. And just because they are later to manifest doesn’t make them any less painful or costly than an immediate fracture or other more easily noticeable injury.

“The neck is a very fragile and unique area of the body as it contains the cervical vertebrae. The cervical region of the neck is the most common injury area in automobile accidents. The syndrome Las Vegas personal injury attorneys deal with frequently is known as whiplash where the neck is thrown in multiple directions shifting the normal curve of the spine and stretching ligaments and tendons. The human head weighs approximately 15 lbs and is supported by the spinal column. As we age, the bones become more brittle and actually calcify creating degeneration. This degeneration can become a catalyst for disc compression leading to nerve impingement, bulging discs, herniations, and annular tears. Just the same, these conditions can also be caused by trauma like a severe or moderate car accident . . . The most common injury in rear end car accidents are cervical sprain and strains. These injuries begin with a sharp pain in the neck, and continue with shoulder, trapezius, and upper back pain. Headaches can also be a classic symptom of cervical sprain. Most cervical strain and sprains will get better with time and are very responsive to therapy. Ice packs are a great idea to reduce the inflammation as well as plenty of rest. If you have been a victim of whiplash or a cervical neck injury, contact the Las Vegas personal injury offices of Benson & Bingham and ask for Joseph L. Benson II, Esq.: 702-382-9797 x. 226.”

Seat belts save lives in vehicle accidents in Nevada, and everywhere else. We all know this is true in the abstract, but recent news is really bringing it home for us. In a Reno car crash yesterday, a sergeant with the Reno Police Department is crediting proper child car seat installation and usage with keeping two children safe in a Northern Nevada vehicle accident that otherwise might have seriously injured or killed the two little ones. The accident left the vehicle the children were riding in completely totaled, yet the two youngsters were said to be uninjured. One child is only two weeks old, and the other just one year old – ages where children are incredibly easy to injure or worse in an accident serious enough to do significant damage to a vehicle. From a recent news story on the Nevada t-bone car crash:

“Police say a purple sedan failed to yield to oncoming traffic and got t-boned by a pickup truck. To make matters worse, the car had a two week old and a one year old in the back seat. Both of them were uninjured.

‘Ultimately, the majority of (their safety) I would attribute to the car seats themselves,’ said [Reno Police Sgt. Craig] Titterington.”

Benson & Bingham’s experienced Nevada t-bone vehicle crash attorneys help people who are injured in accidents like this. We understand the legal and medical issues that can arise from this kind of accident, and know how to help. See important information below, and then contact Benson & Bingham for a free consultation if you’ve been a victim of a t-bone car accident in Nevada.

“Injuries from car accidents caused by an angle approach are very telling by the location of such pain. Left sided impacts naturally may have left sided trauma and vice-versa. Often the force of the impact causes the body to move in the opposite direction of the hit. Thus, a right side impact will cause the body to, at first, go right with body extremities going the opposite direction given the forward momentum they had prior to and during the impact. The twisting and turning of the body joints cause major core injuries around the muscular skeletal system. T-bone accidents typically involve two vehicles or more that are traveling a moderate to fast speeds, and the injuries can be deadly. No reaction by either driver is completed given the emergent crash. Thus, we refer to these accidents as the “unexpected” crash scenarios.”

Peg’s Glorified Ham and Eggs got a brutal interruption to their lunch as some unfortunate man crashed his truck into the restaurant. The individual who was driving the vehicle was a 50 year old local to the Reno area. It is thought that a medical condition or episode might have precipitated the loss of vehicle control that resulted in this crash. The driver was very seriously injured in this Reno truck crash, with a condition said to be life threatening. At last word he was still being treated at Renown Regional Medical Group. Fortunately, he was the only one injured. The rest of the damage was confined to property damage at the restaurant. That damage, while serious enough to warrant maybe a few days of restaurant closure, luckily did not cause any more bodily damage or death. A recent news report of this Nevada truck crash injury interviewed a family with a bundle of children had been looking at maybe getting seated outside just before the accident, but some or all of the kiddos wanted to escape the heat inside instead. Lucky for them it was a hot day, as the truck reportedly hit the post in front of the restaurant and the restaurant itself pretty darn hard. Some windows of the establishment, we understand them to be the big glass ones out front, were hit as well, meaning anyone out there would have also had the potential for being hit with flying and broken glass, as well.

In some cases that we at Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law have seen, prescription drug interactions can cause vehicle accidents in Nevada when the co-created side effect induces dizziness, slowed reflexes, or even hallucinations or full unconsciousness. This can be the fault of medical malpractice in Nevada in some circumstances. This gentleman, who was said to be about 50 years old, could have a case for compensation for his injuries from the insurance company for the doctor, the pharmaceutical company, or others, depending on what induced his inability to control the vehicle. Benson & Bingham’s top Nevada truck accident injury attorneys know what to look for as we talk with you in a free consultation to see if you have a legal claim to pursue. We’ll let you know where we think you stand, and help you in any way we can.

It’s hard to call weather predictable, but the northern Nevada weather does follow a pattern in its unpredictability. The spring comes, and a stretch of nicer weather gets everyone in the mood for more and more and more of it (the weather, that is). Trees and plants and flowers bloom, or bud, or flower. And then, just about every year the weather turns, in one fell swoop. While this is a predictable pattern, this year is doing it in spectacular fashion. Many times, especially in the past few (very, very dry and temperate) years, it’s been more a light cold snap than anything else. This year, it’s a show-stopping snow in town. And with it, the predictably unpredictable slew of Reno car accidents and injuries from the slick roads.

Dozens, that’s the total, dozens. At least 25 reported accidents that did not involve injuries, at least none reported yet. Another eight Washoe County vehicle accidents in the snow that caused injuries, lots of calls for help and many more that had just abandoned their cars on the roadway. At least a few of these accidents shut down streets entirely, or slowed traffic on the freeways. One accident even closed a part of 395 North. Further afield, Interstate 80 was closed down heading west in the Lockwood area for a short period of time. According to some news reports on the snowy Reno Roads and car accidents,

“The North Valleys, Spanish Springs and Stead areas received 8 to 12 inches of snow, and areas south of I-80 received 4 to 8 inches of snow. The Carson Valley and Sierra received less snow, only 3 to 4 inches, if that.”

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in Nevada, such as a vacation accident in Las Vegas or Reno, whether it was from wet roads, dry roads, a DUI or any other type of accident, Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law can help. We know accident and injury law, and get injured persons the compensation they deserve to move on with life. Benson & Bingham offer free consultations so that you can come visit us regardless of whether you’re sure you’ve had an accident or not. Contact us today.

A significant Reno snowfall has resulted in at least 14 automobile accidents that resulted in injury and property damage. The majority of accidents happened at the interchange of the 395 and 80 highways, commonly known to locals as the Spaghetti Bowl, due to the long curved nature of the highways’ four off ramps. Interstate 80 heading both West and East were the location of many of the accidents. One of the larger Reno automobile accidents happened at approximately 7:40 a.m. on lanes headed West near the exit to Reno’s Wells Ave. Another Washoe County car crash was reported minutes later, at 8:00 a.m.That accident happened near Sparks’ Nugget Casino.

Additional Sparks vehicle collisions happened on surface streets. Police were investigating accidents at late as 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 28th. Those accidents that were being investigated until late hours included one at Greg St. and Marietta Wy and Los Altos Pkwy and Vista Blvd. No injuries had been reported in the early morning accidents in Reno and Sparks even though many highly trafficked roads like Spaks Blvd and Vista Blvd, all in the immediate vicinity of Prater Way were reported to have road conditions resembling a skating rink. Polce had not included in their tally minor fender benders or when motorists had slid off the road onto embankments. Forecasters have announced that snow is expected to clear by tomorrow.

While snow is not forecast to hit again until Tuesday or Wednesday next week, drivers are urged to take precautions to ensure they stay safe in the snow. If you have a car with rear wheel drive or is prone to slipping, it is always wise to have something heavy in the cars back area like a bag of sand or concrete. If that is not possible, a full tank of gas will also add weight to the vehicle.Chains are important to have on hand in case roads become too slippery to travel on with regular tires. Another good tool to have in the car is sheets of cardboard, with the cardboard, a stranded motorist can slip it under tires to gain additional traction when at a complete stop and wheels are spinning. Another precaution to take is to have a blanket, gloves, hats and an extra coat in the car in case you need to spend a prolonged time in your vehicle waiting for help.

Northern Nevada has been in a significant drought for the past few years. Over that time, Northern Nevada drivers were not experiencing the winter weather driving that they had practiced for years. Now that the weather has been back to traditional patterns there have been weekly snow falls and local drivers are having more Reno automobile accidents. Nevadans are having to adjust schedules for travels to work and even when picking up friends and family at the airport. Road crews in Northern Nevada are working extra hours to ensure that roads are safe and clear. The crews are also laying down gravel to improve traction and ice to increase melting of snow and ice that is on roads. The fortunate for Northern Nevada drivers is that snow accumulation tends to melt quickly and not spend more than a couple days on the roads.

Many roads in and out of Reno can be extremely treacherous when the weather is bad. Often when snow hits the Sierra Mountains the Nevada and California Highway authorities often require motorists to use chains or snow tires to increase traction and reduce the number of Washoe County car crashes. Other highways that can be dangerous when there is snowfall are the Mount Rose Hwy and the former 395 highway between Reno and Carson City. When snowfall hits the region, the people who run plows, sand and salt trucks can run for 12 even 18 hours. At times in the most elevated areas of the Sierras can see 12” to 18” in the snow over a 12 to 24 hour period.

Reno attempts to provide safe access to its roads in a manner that is safe for the environment. Reno has over 2,200 miles of roads which must be plowed. There are 19 routes that trucks follow for ice and snow removal. When the city of Reno puts gravel on the road it is typically mixed with salt. For applying salt to the road, the city uses a salt and water mixture that some refer to as brine. Since bridges tend to ice over the city of Reno tends to focus on providing adequate salt and snow removal on them.

If there has been a Northern Nevada vehicle collision that damaged your automobile or other property or hurt you or killed a member of your family, the Nevada licensed personal injury attorneys at Benson and Bingham can help you recover money for automobile repairs, hospital bills, lost work and more.

As the pedestrian death toll rises across Nevada, politicians citizens, pedestrians and NDOT employees are looking for ways to increase pedestrian safety across the state. Northern Nevadans are asking the state and local politicians and transit officials to improve the pedestrian infrastructure around a very busy intersection. To reduce the number of Reno automobile accidents involving pedestrians, people are requesting that the intersection of Talus Wy and North Virginia St. UNR Reno is in the immediate vicinity of this busy pedestrian intersection. The Department of Transportation has plans to improve the intersection in 2016 in their effort to reduce Washoe County car crashes that involve people who walk across the street.

NDOT, the Silver State’s transportation agency, plans to change the location of the intersection’s crosswalks. The crosswalks will now be closer to the bus stop that is also in the area. The transportation agency is also installing additional signals to alert drivers when someone is crossing North Virginia Ave. The agency will also improve streetlights in the area, which will enable those behind the wheel to see people walking on the street whether they are wearing bright or dark clothing. Finally, the agency is installing a median in the center of the road, thus enabling pedestrians crossing the street to take a break and not have to cross all four lanes of N. Virginia. The state agency has a budget of $10 million to improve roads and crosswalks in both Clark and Washoe Counties. These funds are from the state budget. The improvements to the intersection will be completed next fall and will start in summer 2016. The transportation department has a number of projects that are being worked on to reduce Northern Nevada vehicle collisions. On Interstate 580. the agency will pay a Reno construction company $12.1 million to improve the highway’s infrastructure including replacing old concrete, resurfacing the highway and improve the ability for the highway’s bridges to withstand an earthquake. The agency is also funding an extension of the freeway in Carson City. In Incline Village, the state agency is improving pedestrian access. Crosswalks on State Route 28 are getting new signs to alert motorists of people crossing the street. New streetlights are being installed and ramps are being added to sidewalks. The project is also adding dedicated lanes to turn left on State Route 28 and is also adding left turn signals to the stoplights to make turns easier for those driving.

In Reno, Stead Blvd is the locale of many accidents, there is also a school on Stead Blvd. in Reno. The road’s four lanes, heavy traffic, high amount of North Valley automobile accidents has parents concerned for the safety of the children walking to school. Stead Blvd. has a large number of commercial vehicles that travel on. While the school zone should slow drivers down, many drivers on busy Stead Blvd. do not slow down. The high amount of traffic could cause a Reno car crash where a student headed to the school is seriously injured or even worse. Local parents believe Stead Blvd. should have more crosswalks to make it easier for children on their way to school to cross the street.

While there have been two deadly Washoe County vehicle collisions on the road in 2015. In 2015, there have also been 29 vehicle accidents on Stead. Half of those accidents occurred at the intersection of Stead Blvd. and Silver Lake Rd., which is the intersection where the school is located. One person has died in an accident at the intersection. about 66% of the accidents happened while school is in session. Weather was not a factor in the accidents as there was no noted rain or snow on the days of the crashes. Many drivers were ticketed for driving infractions after the crashes and most of those tickets were for tailgating or not yielding to other drivers. No children were hurt in any of the accidents in the past year, however.

The Washoe County school district works closely with regional transportation bodies to ensure the roads around Washoe schools are safe for children. The school district also receives input from parents and works with local authorities to improve roads around schools when needed. In front of elementary school there is a pedestrian crosswalk that has crossing lights that are lit when activated by touch.

Benson and Bingham is a Las Vegas personal injury firm that is family owned. Our firm was founded by cousins Benjamin Bingham and Joseph Benson. We also offer services in Northern Nevada. If you would like to set up a free legal consultation with one of our attorneys, please go to NV-Attorney.com or call us at 702-382-9797. We can help your finances recover from an accident that wasn’t your fault and be reimbursed for lost work, pain and suffering, hospital bills and more.

Reno and much of the west have been in a serious drought for years, the arrival of El Nino this winter, however, is bringing much needed precipitation to the region, in the form of large snowfalls. With significant snow forecast for Sunday, November 15th and a large snowfall last weekend that resulted in as much as 18” of snow in Reno last weekend, it’s important to review the safest ways to drive in snowy weather. By following common snow safety practices, one can avoid Reno automobile accidents, and prevent the need for costly automobile repairs, hospital bills and even loss of life.

With the storm right around the corner, it is important to prepare your car for the snow. Before a storm, it’s important to fill your gas tank. By keeping your gas tank full when it is cold, you minimize condensation in the gas tank. Cell phones should be kept charged, but should be put away while driving to minimize distractions. When wiping snow off windows, one should be sure to clear everything, including the automobile’s roof. Headlights should also be cleared when removing snow, and when you drive while it is snowing, you should turn on your headlights. Your car should have an emergency kit inside including a bag of sand or kitty litter, a snow brush, an ice scraper and even tire chains. One should also have spare winter clothing in their vehicle, just in case one is caught unawares and needs to spend significant time or walk a long distance. Flares and a flashlight are also a good idea to stock in your car in case of a Washoe County car crash due to inclement weather. When it is snowing, one of the best ways to avoid a Northern Nevada vehicle collision, you should drive slowly, taking time to be sure to arrive at your destination without rushing. While driving in the snow, allow yourself significant room to stop – since in the snow, on ice or even when it rains, it takes a longer distance for a car to stop in the snow. Slamming on the breaks in the snow can often cause a car to spin out of control. While driving in the snow brake early and slowly. We all see the signs, but it’s important to remember that bridges freeze before roads do so when approaching them use caution to not careen out of control.